College Place panel discusses CLG grant to nominate Walla Walla University and local houses to National Register

The College Place Historic Preservation Commission on March 20 discussed pursuing a Certified Local Government (CLG) grant to prepare National Register nominations for Walla Walla University and one or more private houses in College Place. The commission set a target of preparing an application before the May 30, 2025 CLG deadline and agreed to contact the university and an interested homeowner about possible nominations.

The CLG program is federal funding administered through the National Park Service and passed through the state historic-preservation office, Commission member staff said. Spencer Howard, a preservation consultant with Northwest Vernacular, told commissioners that a reconnaissance survey already completed in 2018–19 strengthens a CLG application, and that owner consent is a pivotal element for National Register nominations: "The biggest thing though on the national register designation is that you need owner consent," Howard said.

Howard and commissioners emphasized the difference between the federal National Register of Historic Places and local register designation. "The national register does not have any controls. It's an honorary designation," Howard said, adding that a National Register listing by itself does not prevent a private owner from altering or demolishing a building unless federal or state funding triggers review. By…